Beast Wars ReIgnited
by nemesischeetor92
Summary: A new version of the Beast Wars in an alternate timeline. The same characters, but with different beast modes and a few of them with different characterizations. Will ther be alternate outcomes to certain parts? Find out by reading!
1. ReIgnition: Part 1

Within the dark, silent depths of space, an odd light warped the otherwise still void.  
From within, two spacecraft emerged, firing heavily upon each other.

"AGH! Hull breach in sectors five, six, AND seven! Guidance systems, FAILING!" a youthful voice called out within the dark interior of one ship.

"GAH! Oh, slaggit... This is nuts! We're pilotin' an exploration ship, not a battlecruiser!" another, slightly older voice complained in a Bronx dialect.

"We didn't have any choice! This ship was the only one within range capable of locking onto the D-Struct's warp signature!" a more commanding voice replied.

"HEADS UP, SHIELDS'RE DOIN' A MAJOR FADE!" the youthful voice announced. In the darkness, the leader nodded.

Turning to another crew member, he said: "Plasma cannons to FULL power!"

Within the other ship, identified as the D-Struct, a raspy-voiced individual was fuming.

"Their shields are down! WHY DON'T YOU DESTROY THEM?!"

The leader of this ship smirked in the darkness.

"A fine idea, but not very fun, no... A little TORMENT, I think first... YES. Activate side guns!" he commanded.

Outside, the D-Struct pulled up alongside, extended its cannons, and let the other ship have the full force of its firepower.

"SLAG! We've got a rupture! The hull in the stasis pod bay's been breached!" the young voice cursed. The final crew member looked to his feet and sighed.

"We're goin' down..." he said gently. The leader was more concerned about the safety of his hibernating crew.

"Launch EVERY pod! Make sure they achieve stable orbit!"

Outside, several dozen silver escape pod-like devices were ejected from the rear of the falling ship, drifting into a stable yet decaying orbit around the planet the ship was doomed to crash upon. Inside the ship, the commander gained a look of grim determination.

"Once we're facing them, wait for my mark."

The ship as, it fell, slowly rotated until it was facing toward the D-Struct.

MARK! ALL PLASMA CANNONS, FIRE!" the leader commanded. The ship let loose several volleys of plasma charges at the D-Struct, heavily damaging its propulsion systems.

"Big bot, we got 'em! They're goin' down with us!" The young voice cheered. The leader gave a modest grin.

Within the D-Struct, the commander of the now inoperable ship let loose a roar of fury.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO ME!" the raspy voice howled angrily.

* * *

It took little more than five minutes for both ships to crash. The D-Struct was precariously perched upon a rocky outcropping overlooking several lava pits, while the other ship, the Axiom, was safely nestled upon a hilltop. Inside the Axiom, the leader of the ship regained consciousness.

"Unh... Damage report?" he asked, groggily. The youngest crew member shook his head and sighed.

"Believe me, you're better off not knowing."

The leader rolled his eyes.

"Just as I thought..."

* * *

In the D-Struct, the commander had gotten over his anger and was now focused upon other matters.

"Computer, activate navigation software. Is this the right planet?" he asked of the ship's onboard computer. The computer beeped.

"Unknown. Although course settings were accurate, preliminary readings are inconsistent with those of intended destination."

The leader furrowed his brow.

"Curious... Nevermind, no. Tell me, is there any Energon on this planet?"

The computer beeped twice this time. "Affirmative, Energon detected within several areas nearby."

The leader grinned like a Cheshire cat. "YESSS! This planet has Energon! All we need is-" the computer gave an alarming trill.

"Warning: Too much Energon. Field radiation readings are incalculable. Prolonged exposure to current forms WILL result in permanent damage."

The leader growled in frustration, before smirking devilishly.

"Then we shall create new cyber-organic alternate forms, ones based upon the most powerful local organic lifeforms." He turned to a crew member.

"Activate the genetic scanning probe," he ordered. The crew member nodded.

"Scanners, heh! Activated, hah-hah!" he cackled.

* * *

In the Axiom, the crew of said ship had reached the same conclusion and decision. Deploying a probe, each ship surveyed their surroundings. The D-Struct scanned the fossils of a spinosaur, pachycephalosaur, and archaeopteryx, as well as a living whip spider, Africanized bee, and bombardier beetle.

Meanwhile, the Axiom scanned all living creatures nearby but selected an elephant, a skunk, a lion, and a fennec fox. There was a flash of light within both ships, as replication occurred.

"Scanning and replication of the local lifeforms has completed." the gentle voice of an Axiom crew member announced. "You may emerge."

Lightheartedly growling, the youngest member of the crew emerged first.

"Awoo! Hey, lookit me! I'm a fox! Actually... I'm Foxtrot!"

"Interesting choice of name..." their leader muttered. Foxtrot had only heard 'Interesting', though.

"'Interesting?!'" Awoo! Leonidas, the word is 'Smooth'! Grr, hehe, it's a crime." Foxtrot said, admiring his reflection. The skunk transformer emerged next.

"Eh, a bit tacky! You never had great fashion sense, you know that, kid?" he snarked. "Now this? Heh! This is what class is all about! Call me... Hazmat!"

Foxtrot got annoyed. "You may look cool, but that stench? Phee-yew!"

The elephant intervened. "Ease off your throttle, Foxtrot. Livin' large is for forms like mine. Name's Demolishor."

The skunk smirked. "Yeah, just consider yourself lucky I didn't get rough on ya, kid."

Their leader, Leonidas Prime, emerged to scold them.

"Moderate your conflict subroutines, Maximals! Remember, these beast forms are primarily to protect our superstructures from the long-term effects of the Energon radiation fields out there! While we may require Energon as a fuel source, THIS is too much of a good thing!" Leonidas walked to a nearby window, peering out at the wilderness.

"Our humanoid robot forms will initiate stasis lock as another protective measure after fifteen minutes of exposure, but even then, we'd need to be put in a CR chamber within FIVE minutes after that!"

He gave off a heavy sigh.

"This is a very strange planet, whatever it is, despite certain... Similarities."

Demolishor spoke up. "Or WHENever... Don't forget, the TransWarp drives are capable of traversing space AND time. Because we were locked onto the D-Struct's warp signature, we could be anyWHERE, anyWHEN..."

Leonidas nodded.

"Good point, Demolishor. But let's also not forget about the rest of our crew being in the stasis pods that we launched before crashing. They may be protected for now, but... It also means that we're currently outnumbered!"

* * *

At the D-truct's location, the pachycephalosaur emerged from the ship's boarding ramp holding a gold-plated record. He was furious.

"Hnngh... No, no, NO! This is all wrong! We can't POSSIBLY be on Earth!"

He turned to face his leader, who was emerging as well.

"Fossilyze, you've FAILED! Not only did you FAIL to destroy that Maximal ship and its crew when you had ample opportunity, but you've FAILED TO GET US TO THE CORRECT PLANET! We stole the Voyager Golden Disk record for NOTHING! You... IMBECILE!" he shrieked, throwing the disk to his commander.

Fossilyze emerged, chuckling darkly.

"I beg your pardon, Skullbasher... WHAT did you just call me?"

"You heard EVERY word I said! You are an incapable leader, and *I* AM TAKING OVER THE GROUP! Skullbasher, TERRORIZE!"

Transforming into robot mode, Skullbasher pulled out a laser blade and energy shield.

"I hereby challenge your position, Fossilyze! The victor shall LEAD the group, while the fallen is DESTROYED!"

Fossilyze smirked and chuckled. "Ah, you're so impulsive, Skullbasher. You may be brave, yes... But you're misguided."

Skullbasher snarled acidicly.

"ACCEPT MY CHALLENGE, OR FORFEIT!" he yelled with venom in his tone.

Fossilyze chuckled again.

"There is more to leadership than mere courage, yes... Why there are intelligence and cunning as well. Is that not correct... Blastwave?"

Blastwave, the bombardier beetle, had remained hidden behind his leader and transformed at the first signs of Skullbasher's rebellion. He now aimed and launched an impulse grenade at Skullbasher's chest plate, which then exploded and launched the saurian Predacon several hundred miles away. Fossilyze smirked fiendishly.

"I'm victorious, while you've fallen from grace," he muttered. "In what way does it matter WHICH planet we are on? We came seeking Energon, and this planet is MORE than rich with the substance. Why there's enough to fuel an ENTIRE galactic conquest!"

He then frowned. "Only the Maximals that were on the other ship could hinder us now... That is IF they've survived the crash." he turned to the other remaining Predacons.

"SEARCH FOR THEM! And IF they're still alive... Destroy them." he said, matter-of-factly.

* * *

The Maximals were taking inventory of everything on the ship, and discarding anything damaged beyond repair. Hazmat was still upset about the current situation. Kicking a broken component, he began to vent his frustrations to his commander.

"OW! Slaggit, all this for some hunk of gold scrap?! Why us, anyway?!" he complained. Leonidas sighed.

"Hazmat, as I said earlier, our ship was the only one within range. And for your information, that 'hunk of gold scrap' was Cybertron's most carefully guarded relic from the Great War. The Voyager Golden Disk record held valuable information, including the location of a MAJOR Energon source, which is the most likely reason it was stolen!"

Hazmat scoffed.

"Yeah, like I care. Y'know, we were supposed to be explorin' the few uncharted regions of space left! Playin' 'Cops and Robbers' with Predacons was NOWHERE in MY job description!"

Hazmat paused, hesitating before he continued.

"Listen, I know you're a Prime and all, but... Are you POSITIVE you're ready for this whole commander thing?"

Leonidas sighed. "I have to be. Remember what the battles in the Great War taught us. If ANY group of Predacons, no matter how small, gains enough Energon, another could start. We must NOT allow that to happen." he then smiled.

"Besides, you say you want exploration? Well, we're on an unknown planet with various similarities to Earth! What more could you possibly want?"

Hazmat rolled his eyes. "Well, eh, call me picky... BUT A WORKIN' SPACECRAFT WOULD BE A GREAT START!" he snarked. Leonidas rolled his own eyes.

"Just no pleasing some 'bots..." he muttered.

Foxtrot emerged from the ship, looking excited as he spotted a duo of real fennecs running across the nearby plains.

"Lookit that!" he exclaimed. Leonidas looked and smirked.

"Certainly agile. You made a wise choice of form."

Foxtrot gave a cocky grin. "You think THAT'S something? You ain't seen the Crimson Missile! Watch!" he said, running off at high speed.

"Foxtrot, stop!" his leader called after him. It was too late, though. As Foxtrot left the base's territory, Leonidas activated his commlink.

"FOXTROT! Come back here now! THAT'S AN ORDER!"

On Foxtrot's end, the communique was distorted. "...rot...se...d!"

Realising Foxtrot couldn't hear him, Leonidas deactivated his commlink. He turned to Demolishor for an explanation.

"Not good... The Energon radiation fields must be interfering with communication bandwidths. I would guess that anything over a hundred meters away ain't worth scrap." he concluded. Leonidas sighed in frustration.

"Well, that's just PRIME."

Hazmat walked up beside him, looking concerned.

"This is your first day on the job, ain't it?"

Leonidas scowled. "Hazmat, do me a favor and shut up."

Hazmat mock saluted. "Oh, yes sir! Y'know, I feel SO much better knowin' that our lives are in your servos! ...We're headed for the junkyard."

* * *

Foxtrot eventually caught up to the fennecs, Growling lightheartedly, he tried to make conversation. He hadn't yet realized the creatures weren't sapient.

"Awoo! The name's Foxtrot! What's up, dogs?"

The foxes were more than a little freaked out by this strange new fennec's mode of communication. They ran further ahead, making Foxtrot stop dead in his tracks.

"What?! Did I offend you with the 'Dog' thing?! Wait up!"

Up ahead, the fennecs encountered yet another strange beast. A gigantic bee hovered overhead, surveying its surroundings. The fennecs growled, barked, then ran off. Foxtrot was confused.

"What's wrong?! It's just a big bug!"

He then started to realize something was up.

"The way they reacted suggests that that thing's not a natural lifeform... Which can only mean a robot in disguise! FOXTROT, MAXIMIZE!" he shouted, jumping and transforming.

"Time to shred some Pred!" Foxtrot whispered, pulling a pulse rifle from his subspace pocket and firing upon the Predacon.

Buzzing in confusion and anger as he was shot at, the bee started talking.

"Nzzz, Zztingor izz under attack! Zztingor muzzt engage enemy! ZZTINGOR, TERRORIZZZZE!" he announced. Stingor transformed into robot mode, firing stinger grenades loaded with cyber-venom at Foxtrot from wrist-mounted launchers. Foxtrot's jaw dropped as he leaped out of the way.

* * *

Back at the Axiom, Hazmat could see the faraway battle and knew what was coming next.

"Oh, slag..."

Leonidas picked up Hazmat by the scruff of his neck in his mouth and hurled the skunk onto his back, carrying him.

"Come on! Foxtrot will need our help!"

Foxtrot and Stingor continued to exchange shots, each deftly dodging the other's weapons fire.

Leonidas, Hazmat, and Demolishor were on their way to the battle when Hazmat spotted something up ahead.

"Watch out! ROADBLOCK!" he warned, noticing a large cluster of boulders in the way. Leonidas swerved to avoid them, but Demolishor kept going.

"What the slag's he doin'?!"

"Demolishor, veer away! There's a clearing not far!"

Demolishor opted to ignore, and instead cleared the rocks from his path with both trunk and tusks. Leonidas rolled his eyes and smirked.

"Of course... My mistake."

As Stingor launched more grenades at Foxtrot, the Maximal encountered a problem.

"SLAG! Of all the times for an ammo jam, why now?!" he cursed, hitting his rifle with his fist to try and dislodge the faulty ammo pack. He then heard a familiar voice.

"FOXTROT! Get to cover and we'll take care of this Predacon!" Leonidas said as he and the other two Maximals arrived. A more sinister voice rang out.

"Are you certain? You see, I believe you'll soon have, if I may say... Difficulties of your own, Leonidas Prime. Yesss." Fossilyze announced as he too arrived.

"Fossilyze..." Leonidas whispered, finally realizing who he was up against.

"We don't have to do this, Fossilyze. There has been peace between Autobot and Decepticon descendants for nearly three centuries. WHY START ANOTHER WAR?!" Leonidas shouted. Fossilyze snarled.

"PEACE?!" he spat. "Perhaps on YOUR side, Maximal filth! Not on ours, however. Allow me to tell your ignorant self that a peaceful enemy is more than likely simply... Biding their time!"

During this little monologue, Foxtrot had finally un-jammed his rifle.

"Rrrr, got it!" he whispered, re-loading.

"Decepticon or Predacon, we've NEVER abandoned the thought of conquest! No... We've simply been patient for the moment when we... WOULD STRIKE!" he shouted. Foxtrot suddenly called out.

"LIKE THIS, DUMB-AFT?! " he insulted, shooting at Fossilyze's face. He hit, literally dead on the nose, making the Predacon leader gasp in pain. Leonidas was startled.

"FOXTROT!" he yelled, surprised that the young transformer had even attempted such a thing. Fossilyze recovered quickly.

"Ah... An excellent display of cunning, underhanded, and sneaky tactics from a bold rookie! I like your style, little pup, Yesss... But now the kid gloves are officially off! PREDACONS, TERRORIZE!"

Leonidas could see that now there was no alternative. Thanks to Foxtrot, a battle was inevitable.

"No choice... Do it. MAXIMIZE!"

The rollcall started on the Predacon side with the whip spider.

"Whiplash, terrorize!" he cackled, transforming.

"Demolishor, maximize!" the Maximal trumpeted, doing the same.

"Blastwave, terrorize!" the beetle shouted, following suit.

"Hazmat, MAXIMIZE!"

The archaeopteryx was next.

"Wingblade, TERRORIZE!" he screeched.

"Fossilyze, terrorize!"

Finally, Leonidas ended the series of transformations.

"Leonidas Prime, MAXIMIZE!" he roared.

Fossilyze scowled.

"Now, my Predacons... ANNIHILATE THEM!"

As the two sides exchanged fire, Foxtrot attempted to get to the other Maximals, but a blast from Blastwave caused him to go flying backward and a large boulder to trap his foot.

"Grr-RRRRR! I-I'm stuck!"

Leonidas had heard Foxtrot's cry for help and turned to Hazmat.

"Hazmat, help Foxtrot! We'll cover you!" another blast rang out from the Preds.

"You sure?!"

"I and Demolishor can provide heavy cover, don't worry!"

Hazmat wasn't completely convinced, but he DID want to save his friend.

"On it, 'Mufasa'!" he joked, transforming and racing down to Foxtrot.

"Demolishor, cover fire! They need it, we give it! NOW!"

Leonidas and Demolishor began blitzing the Preds with firepower, providing cover for long enough that Hazmat could get to Foxtrot, blast away the boulder, and the two could make their way to the other Maximals.

"Time to fade, beasties!" Foxtrot said.

"Agreed! Back to the base! Let's go, MOVE!" Leonidas ordered in response.

Fossilyze was furious at the way things were going.

"AFTER THEM! GO, YOU-AARGH!" he cried out, feeling a painful energy wave hit him. The other Preds were experiencing a similar sensation, as Stingor and Wingblade fell from the sky.

"ZZ-ting-gor can-not mo-oo-ove!"

"Energon radiation! We've been in robot mode for too long! Transform back! Beast mode!" Fossilyze announced, transforming back into Spinosaur mode.

* * *

Later, the Maximals were on their way back to base, with Hazmat riding on Leonidas' back again. Leonidas smirked.

"Hazmat, I'm proud of you. You knew your role during the battle and followed orders without much hesitation. Well done." Hazmat smiled.

"I'll admit I was a bit scared that I'd go extinct 'cause you were to chicken to go at first. But then you made your argument and I realized you were right. Let's face facts, your quick thinkin' got us outta there alive, and without much injury! Yeah, it'll take a bit for our beast modes to enact internal repairs, but you know what? I wouldn't have done it any other way."

Foxtrot came up behind, having been watching the group's rear.

"I think we lost 'em, big cat."

"Everyone keep your optics peeled, anyway. According to the theft reports for the Voyager disk, there were SIX Predacons. We only saw five during the battle, so one of them was absent." Leonidas said with concern.

"Huh... Well, maybe he went extinct in the crash or somethin'." Hazmat said, hopefully. Demolishor sighed.

"Unfortunately, we haven't been THAT lucky of late..."

Foxtrot's eyes widened as he spotted something up ahead.

"You got that right! LOOK!"

Ahead was Skullbasher in beast mode, snarling as the Maximals came to a halt. Demolishor's eyes narrowed.

"Want me to stampede at him?" he asked. Leonidas quirked an eyebrow at the situation.

"Sidenote that option, but let's see if he'll be open to negotiation."

"ATTENTION MAXIMALS! My name is Skullbasher; I have left the Predacons to join your group... As leader."

Foxtrot's eyebrows jumped a few inches. "D-did I hear the word 'Leader'?"

Demolishor grit his teeth. "This guy's got SOME nerve circuits..."

"I hereby challenge you, Leonidas Prime, to a one-on-one battle. The victor shall lead your Maximal unit, while the fallen is destroyed!"

* * *

Next time, on "Beast Wars: ReIgnition":

The Maximals and Predacons duke it out for the most gargantuan Energon crystal you've ever seen! Who wins? That's next time, on "Beast Wars: ReIgnition"!


	2. ReIgnition: Part 2

Previously, on "Beast Wars: ReIgnition":

Maximal and Predacon ships, the Axiom and D-Struct, crash-landed on an unknown planet overloaded with raw Energon crystal, emitting lethal levels of radiation! To protect themselves, the Maximals and Predacons adapt by creating alternate forms based on local wildlife. A short battle later, the Maximals are confronted by former Predacon, Skullbasher, who challenges the Maximal leader, Leonidas Prime, to battle for leadership! What next?! Find out as you read!

* * *

Leonidas and Skullbasher were sizing one another up, as Skullbasher continued to goad the Maximal leader on.

"FACE ME, LEONIDAS! I want you to battle me, one-on-one! The victor leads your unit, and for the fallen... A very *long* goodbye." Skullbasher said, emphasizing the sheer drop below them.

"I don't *WANT* to fight!"

"YOU HAVE LITTLE OTHER ALTERNATIVE! Your command center is behind me, and nobody crosses this bridge until we've fought!"

Demolishor cleared his intakes.

"Don't *we* get a say in this?"

Hazmat signaled for his friend to be silent.

"Are you nuts?! Let 'em duke it out! If he wanted back-up, Leonidas woulda ASKED fer it by now!"

Foxtrot snarled.

"Nuh-uh! HEY, SCALES! WHY NOT TRY A BITE OF THE BAD PUPPY, HUH?!"

Leonidas turned and frowned at the young Maximal.

"Cool your jets, Foxtrot! Hazmat's right, this is not your fight! This is *FOOLISH*, Skullbasher! WE'RE Maximals, YOU are a Predacon!"

"Hmph, just another reason for *MYSELF* to lead." Skullbasher scoffed.

"I don't know why you left Fossilyze's group, but-"

"FOSSILYZE?! Fossilyze will be destroyed once I have your Maximals at *MY* command!"

"You are welcome to join us if you wish, but *YOU* shall *NOT* *LEAD*!"

Skullbasher smirked psychotically. "I beg to differ... You see, in preparation for my new role as Maximal unit leader, I've taken the liberty of re-programming my activation code. Skullbasher... MAXIMIZE!"

Skullbasher snarled and roared as he transformed, once more brandishing his laser blade and energy shield. Leonidas growled, the reality of the situation sinking in.

"Leonidas Prime, maximize!"

Pulling his tail sword and lion's head shield, Leonidas began a fierce battle with Skullbasher. Skullbasher was heavily on the offense, with Leonidas doing his best to defend until he finally managed to temporarily knock the dino out.

"Nngh... I-I still live! Finish it, then..." Skullbasher insisted, ready to die. Leonidas put away his shield, putting out his hand to try and help Skullbasher up in a sign of mercy.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but Maximals don't work like that."

Skullbasher's optics gained a subtle purple tinge. "Then *THAT* will have to... *CHANGE*!" he screeched, blasting Leonidas in the face with his optic laser burst. Leonidas screamed in pain, stumbling backward until he slipped, just barely managing to catch himself on the ledge with his heels. Skullbasher loomed over him, pointing his laser sword at Leonidas' chin, before pulling him up and throwing him back onto the bridge.

"W-what're you doing? You would've won!" Leonidas said in astonishment. Skullbasher lightly growled.

"You slipped. To defeat you like that wouldn't be very sporting. I would not have earned my victory. You see, I prefer to win the old-fashioned way..."

His laser sword gained an electrical arc field upon its' surface.

"*BRUTALLY*!"

The fight resumed, with neither combatant letting up.

"For a Predacon, Skullbasher, you have qualities I find commendable!"

"And you have also been an opponent worth fighting! I will see to it that your funeral is one worthy of your sacrifice!"

"Well, THAT'S... JUST... *PRIME*!"

Nearby, Fossilyze and the Preds were watching.

"Well, well, well... This is an interesting sight, isn't it? Leonidas and our traitorous Skullbasher engaged in battle!"

"Wh-who d'ya think'll win?" Blastwave asked hesitantly. Stingor buzzed excitedly.

"Ooh, Zztingor betz on Leonidazzz!"

Whiplash simply cackled. "Heh-heh-heh! The winner isn't what *I'M* interested in!"

Fossilyze smirked. "For once, Whiplash, we agree. Fossilyze, TERRORIZE!"

Fossilyze transformed, followed by the other Predacons.

Hazmat's ears twitched, as he heard something on the wind.

"Oh, slag! Shift yer audio receptors due-East, guys! We've got a problem!"

"FIRE!" Fossilyze commanded, the Preds responding by letting loose a barrage of firepower in Leonidas and Skullbasher's direction.

Foxtrot's eyes widened in horror. "LEONIDAS!"

Leonidas took immediate notice of the situation. "BEAST MODE!" He then tackled Skullbasher off the bridge after transforming.

"LEONIDAS!" Foxtrot screamed, horrified that his leader appeared to be gone.

"I'm fine, Foxtrot! Now if you're not doing anything..."

Foxtrot looked up a little, noticing for the first time that Leonidas, with his back paws clinging to the side of the bridge for dear life, was grasping Skullbasher's foot with both front paws to keep him from falling. "A LITTLE SPEED WOULD BE PRIME!"

* * *

"Make them fall, my Predacons! YES!"

* * *

"Come on! FOXTROT, MAXIMIZE! AWOO!"

"Demolishor, MAXIMIZE!"

"HAZMAT, MAXIMIZE!"

Meanwhile, Skullbasher was experiencing the first shocks of an Energon surge.

"AAIGH! THE ENERGON RADIATION! I-I'M SH-SHORTING OU-OUT!"

"Hang on, Skullbasher! You can't transform in this position!"

"L-LEA-EAVE M-ME! L-LE-ET M-ME F-FA-ALL, A-AN-ND S-SA-AVE Y-YOURS-SEL-ELF!"

"Now where's the sport in that?!"

"Y-YOU H-HA-AVE N-NO CH-CHOI-OICE!"

"Then... we... *BOTH* go!"

Leonidas' back paws lost their grip, but thankfully Demolishor got to the two Cybertronians in the nick of time.

"Upsa-Daisy!"

Fossilyze was furious. "DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO ESCAPE AGAIN! ALL WEAPONS, FIRE!"

Every Predacon, including Fossilyze himself, now shot everything they had at the bridge supporting their enemies. With all but Skullbasher, who had been forced back into beast mode, transformed, the Maximals began running back toward the base as the bridge beneath them began to disintegrate. Unfortunately, Hazmat lost his footing and nearly fell. Good thing Skullbasher had quick reflexes, then.

"Phew..."

"You're welcome, uh..."

"Hazmat. Name's Hazmat. Looks like not all Preds're bad after all, eh?"

Skullbasher hesitantly nodded.

Fossilyze was fuming.

"INCOMPETENT OAFS! THEY ESCAPED US YET AGAIN, ALL BECAUSE YOU ARE INCAPABLE OF DOING YOUR JOB CORRECTLY!" He yelled, striking Wingblade in the back of the head. Blastwave tapped his leader on the shoulder and pointed in the direction they'd been firing.

"Sir! Look up there! THE MISSILES!"

Looking at where Blastwave was pointing, Fossilyze saw an astonishing sight: The missiles they'd fired were en-route to a mountain. Upon reaching it, they blew a gargantuan slab away, revealing the most ENORMOUS Energon crystal he'd ever seen!

"ENERGON! YESSS! RAW, NATURAL ENERGON CRYSTAL! LOOK AT THE SIZE OF IT!"

Turning to Blastwave, Fossilyze realized that he and his troops were all beginning to experience a severe Energon surge.

"Quickly, revert to beast mode!" he commanded, doing so himself.

The Maximals had seen the spectacle as well and had all transformed back to beast mode at the first sign of trouble. Leonidas was stunned.

"Raw Energon... In its' natural, raw state it's highly volatile. We're lucky the missiles didn't cause an ignition."

Foxtrot noticed something. "Fossilyze is on the move!" He scanned ahead. "Bearing on co-ordinates 6-1-7-5."

Skullbasher inhaled sharply in realization. "He's after the Energon! A crystal of that size would be enough to make him invincible!"

"Thanks for the tip, hard-head. NOW GET LOST!" Demolishor shouted as he began charging at the former Predacon.

"Hold it, Demolishor! Will Fossilyze send flyers, Skullbasher?" Leonidas asked, interrupting Demolishor's attempt at getting rid of the saurian.

"For the love of Primus, are you *SERIOUSLY* going to trust a Predacon?!" Demolishor asked in disbelief.

"That's *MY* call. Will he?" Leonidas asked again.

"I do not believe so. The crystal is far too large for the flyers to carry. Fossilyze would first need Whiplash to segment it."

"Then we'll just have to get to it first... All *FIVE* of us."

"Exactly, all fi- Wait, fang-face is going wi-... Oh, for spark's sake!" Demolishor then noticed he was getting left behind. "WAIT UP!"

* * *

"Raw Energon... Oh, yes. A crystal of such size will make us unstoppable!" Fossilyze announced to Blastwave, who was eagerly following at his leader's side.

Meanwhile, the Maximals were slowly traversing a rather perilous narrow pathway. Demolishor, now feeling a bit calmer, came up to Leonidas' side.

"I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. Never been one to trust Preds, is all."

"You're forgiven. Just remember that Skullbasher was willing to risk his safety to save Hazmat. If that isn't a quality of a true Maximal, I don't know what is."

Demolishor hesitantly nodded, still not convinced. "I was just thinking... You have a flight mode, from what I remember of the scan and replication. You could probably get to the mountain before anyone else."

Leonidas shook his head. "Not a good idea. We need to stay together in case of another Predacon ambush, and who knows if this planet has any other surprises?"

Demolishor stopped dead in his tracks. "Like that?" he asked, gesturing with his trunk to a Stonehenge-like structure some distance away. Leonidas quirked an eyebrow.

"Strange... What's your opinion of it?"

Demolishor sighed. "Only that it *MUST* have been built by something. All I know is we *WE* didn't, and neither did the Predacons."

Foxtrot suddenly barked. "Yo, HEADS UP!"

Incoming were Stingor and Wingblade, who transformed and began attacking the Maximal group. Transforming themselves, the Maximals looked to their leader.

"Defensive positions!" Leonidas ordered.

"What about *HIM*?" Demolishor asked aggressively, pointing at Skullbasher.

"*HE'S* with *US*!" Leonidas retorted.

"I don't buy it just because you say it's true!"

The two Preds began firing at the Maximals, but when the Maximals tried to shoot back, they encountered a problem.

"Hold your fire! We're in danger of setting off a rockslide!"

Hazmat looked incredulous. "Are you outta yer processor, boss cat?! THEY'RE COMIN' BACK!"

Looking, Leonidas realized Hazmat was right. "I'll handle this! COVER ME! PRIMAL-JETS, ONLINE!"

Flying out, Leonidas began blasting at the Preds with his forearm-mounted "Leo Cannons", making the Preds veer away as they began experiencing Energon surge. Skullbasher saw an opportunity and decided to take it.

"Now, while they're weak!" he shouted, shooting optic lasers at the retreating Predacons. Accidentally, the lasers hit a few stalactites, which nearly got Hazmat as they fell. Demolishor was livid.

"I knew it... You tried to kill Hazmat, you scrap!" he yelled, tackling Skullbasher to the ground, before aiming his trunk shotgun straight at the former Predacon's face. "Once a Pred, *ALWAYS* a Pred!" he announced. Thankfully, Leonidas swooped in at that moment to break up the feud.

"Knock it off, Demolishor! He never intended to hurt any of us!"

"That's what *YOU* say!"

"Exactly! It's what *I* say! Do you want to question my authority again?!"

Demolishor hesitated. True, *HE* was the largest and strongest Maximal, but Leonidas had rank well and truly over him...

"Ah... Slaggit, I *DON'T* trust Predacons of *ANY* sort..." he said in a low tone, letting Skullbasher get up.

"We have enough problems without any in-fighting! Now, let's go!" Leonidas insisted.

* * *

Fossilyze was drooling. He could only imagine how much power the gigantic Energon crystal would provide him with. "So much Energon... I can almost taste its' power!"

Whiplash was worried. "The Energon radiation fields closest to it would destroy us in robot mode within less than a minute! We'll *HAVE* to stay in beast mode! And Leonidas and the Maximals are coming!"

"They'll have to stay in beast mode, too. Besides which, I'll handle Leonidas... *PERSONALLY*."

* * *

Leonidas was wary. He knew Fossilyze would make his entrance soon.

"RAAAGGH!"

Speak of the Chaosbringer...

The Maximals and Predacons stood each five abreast, staring down their enemies.

"Across the void, it has come to this, Leonidas Prime. Face-to-face, fang-to-talon... Yes. Any last words?"

"I'd say we're prime... LET'S DO IT!"

The two sides charged at one another, a chaotic fight ensuing. Fossilyze managed to pin Leonidas beneath him, attempting to bite the Maximal leader's head off while the lion kept the spinosaur at bay with his extended claws.

"Admit defeat, Maximal! This mountain's worth of Energon is ours!"

"NOT WHILE I STILL DRAW BREATH!"

Leonidas managed to throw Fossilyze backward, headfirst into a boulder, where he got trapped.

"Call it off, Fossilyze! You're trapped!"

"NO! YOU'LL NOT WIN *THAT* EASILY!"

Fossilyze broke free, charging Leonidas and slamming him into a stone wall, taking a large bite out of the lion's back left leg.

"ROA-AGH!"

Biting back, Leonidas managed to knock the saurian to the ground. He then grabbed Fossilyze's tail in his jaws, swing him around, and then throw him a decent distance away.

"IT IS *OVER*, FOSSILYZE!" Leonidas shouted, stumbling as the pain caught up with him. Fossilyze defiantly got up and transformed.

"NO! IT IS *NEVER* OVER! IF *I* MUST DIE, THEN I'LL TAKE YOU DOWN WITH ME!" he announced, firing off a single missile as he began experiencing an Energon surge. The world almost seemed to move in slow-motion as Skullbasher, who to this point had been busy dealing with Blastwave, ran in front and swatted the missile with his tail, altering its' trajectory. The missile struck the Energon crystal, setting off a chain reaction of released energy.

"EVERYONE AM-SCRAY! IT'S GONNA BLOW!" Hazmat shouted.

"GOOD CALL! MAKE LIKE A TREE AND LEAVE, HEROES!" Foxtrot yelled in agreement.

In the aftermath of the monstrous explosion, the Maximals began to gather their thoughts.

"Thanks," Leonidas told Skullbasher.

"My action wasn't out of any kind of loyalty, Leonidas. I... Owed you my life. Now we're... Even."

"I'm prime with that."

"Well, at least Fossilyze is gone! And so's the Energon! So, it's over! ...Can we please go home, now?" Hazmat pleaded. Leonidas sighed.

"No, Hazmat. For the moment, we're stranded here with the Predacons. We don't know for certain that Fossilyze was destroyed, so he might come back. Plus, there's still more Energon!" Leonidas paused. "So, for now... The battle is here, on this oddly primitive world. From here, we start... BEAST WARS!"

* * *

END OF "ReIgnition: Part 2"


	3. The Web

"Excellent job, Demolishor." Leonidas complimented. The elephant Maximal had just finished the construction of a new piece of kit.

Demolishor smiled arrogantly. "Just needs a field test, now."

"Test?!" Foxtrot shouted eagerly as he rushed into the room in beast mode. He'd been eavesdropping. "I'm your guy! What's to try?"

Leonidas and Demolishor both quirked an eyebrow. "Demolishor just finished building a new commlink. Hopefully, it'll solve our long-range communication problems!"

Demolishor sighed, now a bit less confident. "That's only *IF* it works."

"Well, let's see if it does!" Foxtrot said, grabbing the device from his robot friend and giving it a sniff. "Whoa, uber cool!"

Leonidas was a little concerned. "Foxtrot, that's a *VERY* valuable asset. Be careful with it, please."

Foxtrot looked right into his leader's eyes, seeing how serious he was. "Roger that, big cat. So, how's it work?"

Leonidas smiled at the young Maximal's enthusiasm. Taking the device out of Foxtrot's paw, he attached it to the fox's left forelimb. "To start with, it's voice-activated. Just say the trigger phrase: 'Maximal Base', and it'll link up. We should be able to tune into your frequency after that. To turn off, you say: 'Disconnect'."

Demolishor folded his arms. "I just hope it works."

"Head away from the base toward Grid Kivuli and check in every ten kilometers. We'll see how far we can track you. If you see Predacons, lay low until you can get away." Leonidas warned.

Foxtrot smirked cockily. "I'll be too agile for 'em to see me! Awoo!"

Foxtrot ran outside, while Demolishor shook his head. "This ain't good..."

Leonidas chuckled. "He'll be fine."

* * *

Meanwhile, Blastwave had just found something buried in a pile of rubble.

"Fossilyze'll reward me handsomely for findin' this little beauty... *IF* it *EVER* comes outta this slaggin' rock! GRAAGH! Blastwave, TERRORIZE!"

Transforming, Blastwave shot an impulse grenade and caused quite the ruckus.

Foxtrot stopped dead in his tracks, his ears twitching as he heard something on the wind.

"Maximal Base, do you read me?"

* * *

_"Do you read me?"_

"Yes. And he's over five kilometers away! Looks like it's working fine!" Leonidas said joyfully.

"Thus far, anyway." Demolishor surmised.

_"I just heard some kind of explosion! I'm gonna check it out, so I'll talk to you again in a minute. Disconnec-~#~"_

Leonidas' jaw dropped. "EXPLOSION?! Foxtrot, STOP!"

"He's movin' again..." Demolishor groaned. Leonidas sighed.

"I'm going after him. If he connects again, tell him to get out of there, ASAP! PRIMAL-JETS, ONLINE!"

* * *

Grunting and groaning, Blastwave managed to pull a huge cannon from the rubble. Foxtrot was watching.

"This ain't good. Foxtrot, maximize!" he whispered. Transforming, he quietly spoke into the commlink.

"Maximal Base. Leonidas, do you read me?"

_"This is Demolishor. Leonidas is on his way and says you need to get outta there as soon as possible."_

"Sorry big guy, but I can't. Blastwave's here and he just found an ultra cannon. It must've come off of their ship during the crash! I'm going in. Disconnect."

"Ooh, still operational. Fossilyze'll be THRILLED!" Blastwave grinned.

"And you'll be molten slag if you don't stay right where you are, bugly!" Foxtrot insulted. Turning, Blastwave started fidgeting with his mandibles, making a clicking noise. Foxtrot charged up his pulse rifle.

"Clicking makes me twitch, did you know that? You don't wanna be clickin' when there's a full charge in this li'l puppy."

Blastwave glanced toward the ultra cannon.

"Nuh-uh, away from the big boom-boom, hot-head." Foxtrot warned. Blastwave moved away from the cannon.

"Maximal Base, I've got things under control. Tell Leonidas to home in on my signal." Static was all that answered Foxtrot. "Yo, Demolishor, you readin' me?" Again, nothing but static. Blastwave noticed Whiplash creeping up on Foxtrot and advanced a little.

"Hold it, you're makin' me twitch again." Foxtrot warned.

"AND *I'LL* MAKE YOU SCREAM!" Whiplash cackled. Startled, Foxtrot turned and fired rapidly in Whiplash's direction. Seeing an opportunity, Blastwave transformed and prepared to shoot at Foxtrot. At that moment, Leonidas landed and shot Whiplash, which made Blastwave reconsider and revert to beast mode before dragging the ultra cannon off quietly.

"Big cat! SLAG! The ultra cannon's gone! So's Blastwave!"

"Slow down, Foxtrot. What ultra cannon are you talking about?" Leonidas asked, reverting to beast mode. Foxtrot followed suit.

"Blastwave was here not long ago and found an ultra cannon. I think it came off the Pred's ship in the crash. I decided to butt in and get the drop on him."

"You nearly got dropped yourself. Whiplash, as you saw, was here also."

"Yeah, he got behind me, so I tried to take him out and-"

"Blastwave would've been more than ready to capitalize on your mistake if I hadn't gotten here in time! You nearly cost us an advantage by way of almost trashing Demolishor's commlink! He worked on it for a month and doesn't even have the components to build another one! We're in a war for survival, and you treat it like a game!"

Foxtrot gained a look of remorse, then remembered something.

"Speaking of the commlink, it stopped working at some point. I tried to contact Demolishor, but all I got in return was static. I'd transformed beforehand, so I think my transformation discharge might've messed something up."

Leonidas hmm'd in curiosity.

"We'll cross that bridge later. For now, I'll need to contact Skullbasher and get him to come in from the outer fringe of our territory. I'll need his expertise to figure out the best way of dealing with the Predacon's new asset."

Foxtrot's eyes widened. "I'm lithe and limber enough to slip into their base! Let me do it, Leonidas!"

"I'm sorry, Foxtrot, but you've done enough for one day."

* * *

"Sounds like you'll be needing my help with a plan of action," Demolishor said after Leonidas explained the current state of things. "So it stopped working not long after Foxtrot transformed, eh? I'll need to address that issue later."

"Indeed. Let's get to work on a plan to storm the base."

"A plan that has me as bait, no doubt!" Hazmat complained after Leonidas left the room. "No thanks, pal! The puppy-dog got us into this mess, so maybe *HE* should be the one to get us outta it!"

"At least I'm not scared to do it!" Foxtrot retorted.

"You know, *THAT'S* why you're such a screw-up, kid. You don't have enough smarts to *BE* scared!" Hazmat spat.

"I'll show *YOU* what I have the smarts to do, dipstick! You *AND* big cat!" Foxtrot yelled, running off.

"This ain't good..." Demolishor groaned.

"Wha-a-at?" Hazmat groaned back.

"You know what he's gonna do, right?"

Hazmat rolled his eyes. "Oh, please! He's just gonna blow off some steam! I mean, even *HE* ain't stupid enough to disobey Leonidas Prime twice in a row!"

"Really?"

"Agh... Okay, okay, I'll stop 'im! ...*IF* I can catch up to 'im... For the love of..."

* * *

The Predacons were mounting the ultra cannon to a turret on the edge of their territory. Foxtrot was observing from nearby.

"Better move fast," he whispered to himself. Foxtrot moved into a more suitable position for a potential ambush. "Now, just gotta wait for the right moment..."

Foxtrot hadn't noticed a snare near his rear right paw, and when his paw had just barely entered it...

"A-WOO!"

"Hehehehehe..." Whiplash quietly cackled as the young Maximal was dragged down to his lair.

Foxtrot awoke in a daze, his vision blurred and his head spinning. Once he was able to focus, he could make out that he was in an underground cavern full of webs and various types of arachnid including... Whiplash. Shoulda figured...

"Geez, do you need a maid in here, or what?" Foxtrot asked groggily. The whip spider simply chuckled and pushed a button on a nearby machine, inflicting pain on the fennec.

"You're in my patented 'Stasis Web'. It drains away energy while leaving any flesh alive! In its current setting, your core consciousness would be gone in only a few moments! However..." Whiplash turned the machine down a few notches. "I find a slower pace makes for far *tastier* meat, ha-ha!"

Foxtrot struggled for breath. "Whoa, you're one sky-high arachnid... Foxtrot, maximize!" Foxtrot failed to transform, only hearing a faint clunk from his internal circuits.

"Sorry, but the web makes transformation impossible. A fox you are, and a fox you'll stay. And once you're completely drained of energy, I feast..." Whiplash drooled, cackling maniacally.

* * *

Leonidas and Skullbasher were viewing a hologram of the Predacon base, discussing how to deal with the ultra cannon.

"We must enact a frontal assault, now! If we don't, Fossilyze will assuredly use the cannon against us!" Skullbasher hissed.

"I doubt it. The modifications needed would be too extensive. He's more likely to place it at the edge of their territory as a defensive weapon. The question is, which part of their perimeter would they view as most vulnerable?"

Demolishor entered the room at that moment.

"Ah, Demolishor! Defensive emplacements are your specialty, so please help us. Also, where's Hazmat? I'll need him to scout the area beforehand."

Demolishor hesitated. "Still... Uh, talking to Foxtrot..."

Skullbasher snarled. "You Maximals waste far too much time by talking! We must take ACTION!"

Leonidas growled. "Rushing in half-cocked won't solve matters, either!"

"We must DESTROY them!", Skullbasher roared.

* * *

Hazmat was slowly entering the Predacons' territory. He began venting under his breath.

"Son of a glitch... I've gotta have something wrong with me to be doin' this for that idiot canine..."

He began sniffing as a scent wafted its' way into his olfactory sensors. "Ugh... I can smell his stink, even in THIS slagheap."

He came upon a suspicious-looking rock and pushed against it, noticing a hole underneath.

"Huh... Now THAT warrants a further look, I think.", he said to himself.

* * *

Foxtrot's energy was slowly ebbing away.

"It won't be long, now...", Whiplash said, cackling softly.

Foxtrot's head was spinning even worse than before.

"This plan of yours sucks, eight-legs. I don't even HAVE blood! There's nothing but mechfluid pumping through my system!"

Whiplash cackled again.

"Not to worry, my filters will adjust. It is the act of feasting I enjoy more than the actual nourishment..."

"Do you know how much of a messed up arachnid you are, web-head?", Hazmat said as he entered the cave. Whiplash gasped.

"The skunk!"

"Yep! Now then, why don't we do this peacefully and have you let my friend go?"

Whiplash wasn't going to lose his meal THAT easily, though...

"Whiplash, TERRORIZE!"

"Are we REALLY doing this? Hazmat, MAXIMIZE!"

The two beast warriors transformed, and a short battle ensued. Hazmat dodged the first shot and began shooting back.

"Now who's on the menu, Spider-Man?", Foxtrot taunted. Whiplash cackled maniacally as he turned up the machine and inflicted greater pain on the young Maximal.

"Thermal scan, activate.", Whiplash commanded of his internal systems. A small visor extended over his optics as he began searching for his quarry. He soon saw a heat signature and shot at it.

Hazmat dodged the shot in time and realized what was going on.

"Playin' THAT game, huh? Well, TWO can do that..."

He ejected a small cartridge from his left forearm and placed it in an inconspicuous spot nearby before pressing a button.

Whiplash was still searching for the heat signature he'd spotted earlier. He found it again, readied his weapon, and...

"Huh?"

Retracting his visor, Whiplash realized he'd been fooled.

"Tut, tut, tut. The hotbox; the oldest trick in the book and you fell for it, hook, line, and STINKER. For shame, Whiplash." Hazmat sarcastically scolded.

Both Cybertronians readied their weapons, but Hazmat was faster on the trigger. Whiplash was knocked to his back, his weapon inadvertently firing, causing a small cave-in that buried him.

Hazmat pulled a laser switchblade from his subspace and cut Foxtrot free from the stasis web.

"Hey, Pepe Le Pew... What's new?", Foxtrot groggily joked.

As they began to head off, Whiplash was trying to free himself, to no avail.

"I HATE skunks...", he muttered, as a rock conked him on the head.

* * *

When they got back, Foxtrot was at full strength again, but still worried about whether Hazmat would tell Leonidas what had happened.

"Hey, Leo the Lion! What's up?", Hazmat joked.

"Where have you two been?!" Leonidas asked. Hazmat hesitated, then made up a lie.

"Just... Screwin' around. Foxtrot needed a break. You WERE kind of a grouch earlier, you know. I mean, EVERYBODY makes a mistake or two as a rookie, right?"

Leonidas sighed. "You're right, Hazmat. We ALL make mistakes as rookies. Primus knows, I made a few blunders of my own way back when... I apologize, Foxtrot."

"Nah, you were right. I DO treat this war as a game... But I won't anymore. From now on, I'll take things seriously."

Leonidas smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."

As Foxtrot and Hazmat walked off, the youth wanted to thank his friend.

"Thanks for not-"

"Save it, buster! If I'd told Leonidas about your stay at the Whiplash BnB, he'd have kicked my aft just as hard as yours! One more thing... If you EVER pull another stunt like this, I'll personally SKIN YOUR HIDE! Now get outta my way, I've got Z's to catch up on!"

Foxtrot smirked. "And thanks for saving my life... Pal."


	4. Trust

Leonidas was watching a mountain in the middle of a severe Energon storm. He observed it being struck by lightning, exposing a large cache of raw Energon crystal.

"Leonidas to base! Scrap the mission! It looks like there's going to be a few issues in carrying it out!"

All he got in return was static.

"Leonidas to base, DO YOU READ?!"

Again, static.

"Too much radiation interference... I'll have to go back and tell them personally."

* * *

Demolishor was working on the last few adjustments to some new equipment. He sighed once he was done.

"There; the new surveillance posts are ready for duty. Hazmat; is there any word from Leonidas on whether we're continuing with the mission?"

Hazmat hit the communications console with his fist, trying to make it work.

"Not even a flicker! This storm is messing up our commlinks worse than usual, which is usually bad enough!"

Skullbasher was making adjustments to another piece of equipment at the main interface.

"This mission is too important to be impeded by a MINOR variation of weather!" he snarled, looking around for something.

"For crying out- WHO TOOK THE SYNCHRO-LASER?!"

Foxtrot turned around, holding the device Skullbasher was looking for.

"Sorry, I was making some adjustments to the scanners; here you go," he said as he handed the device to the saurian.

"It's amazing that you Maximals have endured amidst such mediocre cooperation..."

Leonidas emerged from the boarding ramp, noticing the tension in the air.

"Did I miss something?"

Foxtrot walked up to him, holding the device Skullbasher had been working on.

"Hey, Big Cat; we're just about done with the "Big Boomer". I'll just make the last adjustment, and... THERE! We're all set to blast the Preds into orbit as space debris!" he shouted, just as the weapon tried to explode.

"No, you don't!" Foxtrot said, pressing the "_Abort_" button. Leonidas sighed.

"Put it in neutral; we're stalled..."

"You're jokin', right?!" Hazmat asked.

"Yeah; I mean, it's just a hyperactive quasar-circuit. I'll fix it in three nanokliks!" Foxtrot boasted.

Leonidas shook his head. "That Energon storm will be at our doorstep within the hour!"

"An_ hour_? No prob of a job for me, Big Cat! I can outrun anything this planet throws at us!" Foxtrot insisted.

"It's too risky right now. The placement of the surveillance posts needs to be PRECISELY calculated so that we don't hit ANY underground Energon deposits!" Leonidas explained. Foxtrot felt insulted.

"I'm not a puppy, Leonidas; I CAN do this! Would you at least put SOME faith in me?" he whined. Leonidas scowled.

"As much as you believe so, this ISN'T about you..."

Foxtrot threw the bomb to Skullbasher, marching away irate. Skullbasher approached Leonidas with severe indignance.

"What does it matter if a bit of Energon ignites? It will take down a few Predacons in the process, which IS what we want, right?!"

Leonidas growled.

Our goal is to achieve a strategic advantage by ridding the Predacons of their base! Defeating them DOESN'T mean that we have to KILL them! You seem to be having a little trouble understanding that, lately..."

Skullbasher snarled. "What I understand is that if our situations were reversed, Fossilyze would not bother with the base and kill *us*!"

Leonidas sighed aggressively. "Your eagerness to slag Fossilyze is clouding your logic circuits!"

Skullbasher growled lightly. "We are at WAR, Leonidas! I believe it is YOUR logic circuits that are clouded!" he snarled, transforming to beast mode and leaving the room.

"Leonidas, they're just harmless scannin' relays; all they're supposed to do is detect Pred energy signals... Right, Demolishor?" Hazmat asked.

Demolishor shook his head. "I'm on Leonidas' wavelength. Energon is an untested variable in this experiment. We need to be careful."

Foxtrot was sulking within his room in beast mode when he heard Skullbasher approaching.

* * *

"Come in. I guess you're here to have a go at me as well, huh?"

Skullbasher shook his head. "Negative; I am confident that you can fix the hyperactive circuit within that bomb, just as I am confident that you could outrun the storm and plant the relays."

"You have more confidence in me than Leonidas, then..."

Skullbasher was formulating a plan at this point.

"Don't mind our leader; to him, you're just a kid. It's as you said, he doesn't have faith in your abilities."

Foxtrot growled under his breath. "I could show him a thing or two..."

Skullbasher smirked. "Why not do so, then?"

"What do you mean?"

"You have mapped every Energon deposit within our territory, and your speed and dexterity are unmatched by Maximal OR Predacon. As a matter of fact, you are the ONLY one that could accomplish this mission!" Skullbasher suggested.

Foxtrot smirked confidently, having taken the bait hook, line, and sinker...

* * *

Later, Foxtrot was exiting the boarding ramp with the relays in tow. He reached the first of his targets.

"MAXIMIZE!"

Transforming, he planted the first of the surveillance posts.

"Beast mode!"

As he transformed back, a bolt of lightning struck nearby.

"WAS THAT SUPPOSED TO SCARE ME?!" he yelled, moving to his next objective. He set the next few surveillance posts before approaching a fissure brimming with Energon. Leaping over it, he was about to plant the last one when lightning struck nearby, knocking him off his feet. The surveillance post was thrown from his grip, implanting itself in a small crack in the ground. The split widened, revealing a cache of Energon.

"Oh, no... This ain't good; IT'S GONNA BLOW!"

Foxtrot made a few attempts to pull the post from the ground, getting zapped each time.

* * *

Within the Predacon base, Wingblade was monitoring the security feed in beast mode. He saw what appeared to be a Maximal energy signature.

"Looks like we may have an invader to our dominion..."

Static and white noise began to obscure the screen, making the archaeopteryx sigh in frustration.

"Slaggitall, it's just storm interference! I should've KNOWN the Maximals wouldn't be dumb enough to try something in this weather!"

* * *

Foxtrot was making a last-ditch struggle to remove the surveillance post from the ground.

"You wanna play rough, huh?"

He began pulling at the post with all his might when a lightning bolt struck it AND him at the same time.

Back in the Pred base, Wingblade was caught off-guard when Foxtrot suddenly reintegrated, sitting atop the communication console.

"Whoa... How much _**IS**_ that doggie in the window?! Did I die? Is this-"

"Welcome to the dark side, puppy-dog! Wingblade, TERRORIZE!" the Predacon shrieked, converting.

"Foxtrot, MAXIM-I did that already," the Maximal said, realising how laughable he now seemed.

Wingblade fired a few shots at Foxtrot, missing by nanometers. Foxtrot leapt to a hover-platform, righting himself before starting to return shots with the Predacon. He dodged around Wingblade's shots before being knocked down to a different platform, where he hung by his fingertips.

"I heard you were swift, Fido; you don't look all that fast to me..." Wingblade said, reloading.

"Wait until I get in shape!" Foxtrot retorted. "BEAST MODE!"

Transforming, Foxtrot jumped at the avian and knocked him into the communication console, initiating another transport. But to where?

"Whoa... Cool!" Foxtrot said, changing back to robot mode. He was about to move elsewhere in the base when he heard a buzzing noise. Looking behind him, Foxtrot saw Stingor carrying Blastwave.

"Blastwave, TERRORIZE!"

Zztingor, TERRORIZZZZE!"

The two chased after the fox, shooting energy pulses, stinger grenades, and impulse grenades at him. They accidentally blew a hole in the ventilation system, which Foxtrot took notice of.

"Thanks for showing me the way out, lame-o's!" he said, converting to beast mode. He then bounded into the ventilation duct.

"He's gone into the vents! You'd better inform Fossilyze!" Blastwave shouted.

"ME?! YOU'RE zzecond in command!" Stingor complained.

"Should I make it an ORDER, then?!"

* * *

Wingblade's transport stopped at the Maximal base.

"Where is he?! Actually... Where am *I*?" he asked. Skullbasher approached him.

"Welcome to enemy turf, my FORMER comrade; I trust that you'll ENJOY your stay... Skullbasher, MAXIMIZE!"

"I don't know how or why you brought me here, but prepare for a battle!"

"Hold on, there!" Skullbasher objected, noticing something going on with the communication console behind Wingblade. It seemed to be SURGING with energy!

"Hmm... Could it be possible that science and nature have accidentally combined to form a teleporter? Wingblade, I believe that a truce is called for," Skullbasher surmised.

"A teleporter? Hey, THAT must be how your pup wound up at the Predacon base!"

"And how YOU wound up here... Such an interesting development, wouldn't you say?"

"Maybe given the circumstances, we should turn our truce into an... ALLIANCE!" Wingblade suggested.

"Really? To what end, Wingblade?" Skullbasher queried.

"Think of the endless possibilities! Together, we could overthrow these low-grade knockoffs that you've joined, and then RULE the Predacon race with TWO Adamantium fists!"

The duo smiled psychotically.

"NOTHING WILL STOP US!" Wingblade screeched.

* * *

Back at the Pred base, Stingor was shooting methodically upwards into the ventilation duct, trying to draw Foxtrot out. Meanwhile, Blastwave was utilising his thermal vision to try and find the Maximal's heat signature.

"I have him! I HAVE HIM!" the bombardier beetle shouted, prepping then firing a homing missile into the duct. It sought out Foxtrot's heat signature, rushing at him from the front, while Stingor's shots approached him from behind.

"Shredded or sizzled? Man, what a choice!" Foxtrot complained. He opted to run back the way he'd come and jump over one of Stingor's shots. The missile and the stinger grenade collided, causing a tunnelling explosion that followed Foxtrot as he ran. It also blew out the other end, blowing Stingor and Blastwave backwards.

"Foxtrot, MAXIMIZE!" the young Maximal shouted, transforming. "BULLET TRAIN, COMIN' THROUGH!" he then yelled as he just barely escaped the shockwave.

* * *

Back at the Maximal base, Skullbasher and Wingblade had been discussing how the newly-formed teleporter worked.

"So by merely coming into physical contact with the comm-console, you begin the process of transport?" Skullbasher surmised.

"That's all it takes!" Wingblade answered.

"EXCELLENT! I suppose it should be easy enough of a process to replicate... WITHOUT you," the pachycephalosaur stated, pushing Wingblade into a waste disposal chute.

"HEY, WHAT'RE YOU DOING?! WE'RE PARTNERS!" Wingblade shouted through the hatch.

"In case it needed pointing out, you feathered fossil: I'm NOT a team player..." Skullbasher reminded, pushing the "Flush" button. Wingblade was sent hurtling back towards Pred territory.

Leonidas came in mere seconds after Wingblade was gone.

"Skullbasher, the survey posts AND Foxtrot are missing! Do you know anything about it?!" the Maximal leader accused.

"Negative, although..."

"Although WHAT?"

"Although, I DID intercept a transmission that detailed a Maximal unit within the Predacon base. Apparently, the storm, Energon, and survey posts may have all combined to create some form of teleporter! It must have brought Foxtrot into enemy arms; he's most assuredly off-line at this point..."

"NO!"

"But we should not grieve; instead, we should celebrate the fact that he has provided us with a strategic advantage!"

"How do you mean?"

"By utilising the teleporter, which links our communication room to the Predacons' own, we can anchor the bomb in the very heart of Fossilyze's base!"

* * *

Stingor and Blastwave were still looking for Foxtrot, but he was too well hidden. Once they left the area, Foxtrot approached one of the computer terminals.

"Well, I may as well take advantage of the current situation; maybe figure out some facts like where their surrounding Energon deposits are..." he murmured. He noticed something alarming.

"Whoa, hold the phone! Computer, show the Maximal perimeter grid map and add in the surrounding Energon deposits!" he commanded. The computer screen displayed exactly what Foxtrot was fearing.

"Tthe same vein of Energon runs underneath AND between both of our bases! An explosion at either end or anywhere in-between would destroy us all! Computer, make a physical data copy!"

The computer produced a data disk.

"I've gotta warn Leonidas about this!"

"THERE HE IS!" Blastwave's voice rang out. Foxtrot turned to see his pursuers readying their weapons. Blastwave fired a Maximal-seeking missile at him, which chased the young robot around the room until he thought of a way to evade it.

Foxtrot jumped and flipped over the duo of Predacons, making it collide with them instead of himself.

* * *

In the Maximal base, Skullbasher was just about to place the bomb upon the comm panel when Leonidas stopped him.

"Hold on! Are you CERTAIN that the countdown will give the Preds enough time to flee the base?"

"They'll only have thirty seconds; any more time than that may allow them to disarm it," Skullbasher explained. Leonidas sighed.

"Proceed."

Skullbasher smirked and placed the bombe upon the surface of the comm panel, initiating transport.

* * *

"Okay; let's give the dogs a bone!" Foxtrot said, throwing the data disk onto the Predacon comm panel. It disappeared, and in its' place was...

"Holy scrap... It's the bomb!"

* * *

"A data disk?" Skullbasher queried.

"Yes..." Leonidas sniffed the object. "And it has Foxtrot's scent!" he inserted it into the computer.

"Computer, play the disk!"

* * *

"Oh, slag; they sent the bomb! I've gotta get rid of it before it destroys BOTH bases!" Foxtrot exclaimed. Wingblade came up behind him and pointed his pistol at the Maximal's head.

"FREEZE, BRUSH-TAIL!"

Fossilyze approached the pair.

"It's just like I told you boss; one bomb, cash on delivery!"

"Don't bother with trying to escape, Rover... Wingblade, defuse it!" Fossilyze ordered.

"There's not enough time!" Foxtrot explained. Wingblade opened the primary hatch on the bomb and noticed the countdown's current number.

"H- he's right! It's anchored down, and it'll blow in twenty seconds!"

"I know how to release the anchoring points, so let me help!" Foxtrot told the Preds.

Fossilyze hesitated.

"C'mon, you'd rather we ALL go off-line?!"

The countdown reached ten seconds.

"Do it."

Foxtrot pushed Wingblade out of the way, then proceeded to sever the wires that controlled the anchor locks.

"Take it to the air!" he shouted. Wingblade took the bomb out through the roof hatch and threw it. It exploded with a major blast!

"Now what?" Fossilyze asked.

"Since I helped you, will you let me go and sever the base-link?"

"Since you helped... Yesss. Now go, before I change my mind!" Fossilyze ordered.

"Yessir!" Foxtrot gulped, transforming and jumping onto the communication panel. After he dematerialised, Fossilyze blasted the panel twice in quick succession, severing the link between the bases PERMANENTLY. Wingblade landed on what was left of it, burnt to a crisp.

"Slaggitall..."

The survey posts disintegrated as Foxtrot's transport finalized. He appeared just in time to witness Leonidas and Skullbasher viewing the contents of the disk he'd sent.

"Wassup dawgs? Didja miss me?"

Later, Demolishor and Hazmat had been brought up to speed on the situation.

"Looks like you saved us from ourselves, Foxtrot. Thanks," Demolishor said gratefully.

"You might've stepped in sludge, kiddo, but you came out smellin' like a rose!" Hazmat said with respect.

"It's all part of my dogged determination!" Foxtrot said with a grin. "I'm sorry for disobeying your orders, Big Cat."

"You didn't NEED to earn my respect Foxtrot; you've always had it, and you DID end up saving all of us, even the Preds. Be warned, though: If you EVER pull a stunt like that again, I'll have your tail in a sling!" Leonidas shouted.

"Okay, jeez; I'll never do anything like that again... Until the next time," Foxtrot said, jokingly.

The others all got a chuckle out of that... Except for Skullbasher, obviously.


End file.
